The 49ers arrived in Melbourne a week before Thursday's game, while the Rams traveled just one day prior. Multiple outlets reported that San Francisco's early arrival appeared to provide an advantage based on the lopsided result.

Sean McVay defended the Rams' abbreviated travel timeline, saying the team would "sleep through the night" and establish "a rhythm" upon arrival. However, ESPN reported that both Kyle Shanahan and McVay said they didn't believe the different arrival times actually factored into San Francisco's dominant performance.

Pro Football Talk and Yahoo Sports both noted that the travel question "won't be fully resolved until Week 2, or beyond," suggesting a single game provides insufficient data to draw conclusions. McVay also stated, per Pro Football Talk, "This will define us only if we allow it to," indicating the Rams view the loss as a singular event rather than a referendum on their preparation strategy.